1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator, and in particular to a refrigerator and a method for controlling the same which is capable of performing a self-checkup of a failure state of a refrigerator and transmitting automatically failure relation information to a service center through the Internet.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator has a refrigeration cycle absorbing heat inside a cooling chamber and a freezing chamber and emitting the absorbed heat outside of the cooling chamber and freezing chamber in order to maintain a temperature inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber lower than a room temperature. An evaporator (cooler) (not shown) absorbs the heat inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber at a temperature lower than a temperature inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber.
In general, in order to maintain the temperature inside the freezing chamber not greater than −18° C., a temperature of the evaporator has to be not greater than −23° C.
Accordingly, the temperature of the evaporator is the lowest inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber, most of moisture inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber is gathered at the evaporator having the lowest temperature, when there is a certain amount of moisture (frost) inside the cooling chamber and freezing chamber, efficiency of the evaporator decreases, accordingly the moisture (frost) has to be removed periodically.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view illustrating a general refrigerator in accordance with the prior art.
As depicted in FIG. 1, a refrigerator includes a freezing chamber 3, a cooling chamber 4 for storing (preserving) foodstuff, and doors 2, 5 for selectively opening and closing the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4. In more detail the refrigerator 1 can keep freshness of the foodstuff stored in the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 by maintaining a temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 at a certain degree.
In order to maintain the freshness of the foodstuff stored in the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4, the refrigerator 1 has a refrigeration cycle constructed with a compressor (not shown) compressing a refrigerant, an evaporator (not shown) generating cool air for absorbing heat in the foodstuff stored in the refrigerator, an expansion valve (not shown) decompressing the refrigerant high-pressurized in the evaporator, and a condenser (not shown) condensing the refrigerant from the expansion valve into a liquid. When the refrigerant cycle is used for the refrigerator 1, a temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 is set by the cool air which is generated from the evaporator and circulates the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4.
However, when the refrigerator 1 gets out of order, generally a user can not know accurately a cause of a failure and requests a repair to a serviceman through a telephone, a fax, etc. However, calling directly to the serviceman may be troublesome for a certain users. In more detail, when user calls a serviceman, the serviceman can judge a cause of a failure by asking a few questions to the user through the telephone, but not all of users can give right answers to questions of the serviceman. For example, a user who does not know well electric appliances can not answer back to the questions of the serviceman.
After calling the serviceman, although the serviceman visits and judges a cause of the failure accurately, when there are no required parts or equipment, the serviceman can not repair the failure and has to visit again.
In the meantime, a user can be damaged by a failure of the refrigerator when the user does not recognize the failure of the refrigerator. For example, when a temperature set function does not work well, the foodstuff stored in the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 loses freshness and has gone bad in the worst case.
Hereinafter, the construction and operation of the refrigerator 1 will now be described with reference to accompanying FIG. 2.
FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating the construction of an operation control apparatus of a refrigerator in accordance with the prior art.
As depicted in FIG. 2, the operation control apparatus includes power unit 24 supplying AC power, a temperature sensing unit 26 sensing a temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 by using a sensor and outputting a sense signal, an input unit 22 outputting an order signal according to a request signal from a user, a microcomputer 25 operated by the AC power supplied from the power unit 24, outputting various control signals in accordance with the sense signal from the temperature sensing unit 26 and performing the operation corresponded to an order outputted from the input unit 22, a display unit 21 displaying a present state (temperature) of the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 in accordance with the control signal of the microcomputer 25, and a load unit 23 operating a motor (not shown) of the compressor in accordance with a control signal of the microcomputer 25.
First, the power unit 24 supplies AC power to the microcomputer 25.
The microcomputer 25 controls each construction part of the refrigerator 1 after being supplied the AC power from the power unit 24. In more detail, the microcomputer 25 is inputted a sense signal outputted from the temperature sensing unit 26 and controls the load unit 23. Herein, the load unit 23 operates the refrigerator 1 in accordance with the control signal from the microcomputer 25. In addition, the microcomputer 25 is inputted the sense signal from the temperature sensing unit 26 and controls the display unit 21. Herein, the display unit 21 displays a present state (temperature) in accordance with the control signal from the microcomputer 25 in order to inform a user of the present state (temperature) of the refrigerator.
In the meantime, the microcomputer 25 judges whether the temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 sensed through the temperature sensing unit 26 is higher than an initial set temperature.
In the judging process, when the temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 is lower than the initial set temperature, the microcomputer 25 controls the load unit 23 so as to turn the motor of the compressor off.
On the contrary, in the judging process, when the temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 is higher than the initial set temperature, the microcomputer 25 controls the load unit 23 so as to turn the motor of the compressor on. In more detail, the microcomputer 25 adjusts a temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 by controlling the load unit 23 repeatedly so as to turn the motor of the compressor on when the temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 is higher than the initial set temperature or controlling the load unit 23 so as to turn the motor of the compressor off when the temperature inside the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 is lower than the initial set temperature.
However, when the refrigerator is out of order, the user has to request a repair through a telephone or in written form after checking a function failure part or a defect in parts. After that, a serviceman visits and checks the failure, but because it takes time to check the function failure and prepare required parts, quick service can not be provided.
As described above, in the refrigerator 1 in accordance with the prior art, when the refrigerator 1 gets out of order, the user who do not fully understand electric appliances can not answer properly to questions of the serviceman.
In addition, when the refrigerator 1 gets out of order, although the serviceman visits and judges a cause of failure accurately, when there is no required parts or equipment, the serviceman has to visit again, accordingly quick and accurate service can not be provided.
In addition, when the user does not recognize the failure of the refrigerator, the foodstuff stored in the freezing chamber 3 and cooling chamber 4 loses freshness and has gone bad in the worst case.